Recognizing COVID-19’s continuing disruptive effects, the Peter & Elizabeth Tower Foundation has announced the 2021 COVID-19 Response grants. Organizations with existing programming in the Foundation’s funding geography expressly serving young people with intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, mental illness, and/or substance use disorders and their families are eligible to apply for unrestricted grants.

The COVID-19 Response application is brief and focuses on helping the Foundation understand the needs and opportunities that organizations and the people they serve face because of COVID-19. COVID19 has had a disproportionately negative impact on communities of color and other marginalized groups (e.g., people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people, incarcerated individuals, immigrant/refugee communities). The Foundation will give preference to applicants working to address these inequities.

Funding Information

The Foundation has allocated $400,000 to each of the two 2021 COVID-19 Response grant opportunities. The Foundation anticipates awarding approximately 16-25 grants of up to $25,000 in each funding round.

Funding Preferences

This funding opportunity is intended as a short-term response to organizational challenges relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. They expect to prioritize applications from organizations serving young people affected by intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health, and/or substance use disorders that:

• Have an annual operating budget of $8 million or less.
• Reflect the community they serve in the ethnic/racial diversity of leaders, staff, and board members.
• Include beneficiary voice and feedback in the design and delivery of their services.
• Continue to serve, whether in person or virtually, populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19 (e.g., people experiencing homelessness, people who are incarcerated, people with disabilities, refugee and immigrant communities, and communities of color).
• Continue to provide necessary in-person services (e.g., residential care, inpatient, in-home) to the highest-need populations despite increased risk to staff.
• Continue to serve families and caregivers who are supporting children and young adults in their home, including services to combat isolation; to support health and well-being; and to provide family respite.

Who Can Apply?

Organizations currently providing services within the following regions are eligible to apply under this grant opportunity:

• Barnstable County
• Dukes County
• Essex County
• Nantucket County
• Erie County
• Niagara County

Additionally, applicants must be:

• Not-for-profit organizations with a 501(c)(3) designation that are not private foundations, or
• Not-for-profit public benefits corporations Schools, school districts, and colleges/universities are not eligible to apply for COVID-19 Response grants.

For more information, visit Peter & Elizabeth Tower Foundation.